There’s little coincidence that Randy Houser’s new album, “How Country Feels,” arrives just as the title track reaches No. 1 on the country radio charts.

The Mississippi singer earned his first chart-topper with the initial single from his most radio-friendly album. Stuffed with country soul-inflected mid-tempo arrangements that highlight Houser’s rich voice, there’s likely a few more hits among its 15 tracks.

He’s sanded away much of the grit that marked his previous work and deploys a more traditional country sound on songs like “The Singer,” “Power of a Song” and “Like a Cowboy” that shows off his vocal versatility and a willingness to explore.

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Just when it starts to feel like there’s a little too much varnish, Houser closes the album with “Route 3 Box 250 D.” It’s easily his most powerful song, and one we hope gets played on the radio, too.

— Chris Talbott, AP Music Writer

Gary Allan, “Set You Free” (MCA Nashville)

Gary Allan shows younger country singers the difference between true emotion and posturing on his searing new album, “Set You Free.” Allan avoids all Nashville trends and clichés, as he has for most of his 17-year recording career. Instead, he digs deep into edgy songs that balance pain and self-reckoning with gritty determination and, ultimately, a hard-earned transcendence.

Experimenting with sounds and textures, Allan co-produced seven of the 11 tracks while collaborating with three different producers, among them the red-hot Jay Joyce. Allan also co-wrote five cuts, including the current country radio hit, “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain).” After recent vocal surgery, the California native sounds more expressive than ever, and the roller-coaster of feelings he instills in “Set You Free” illustrates why he’s among the few contemporary country stars deserving of being called an artist.